The FSA County Committee Election ballots that were mailed to producers on Nov. 4 were incorrectly printed with the producer’s name and address on the back of the ballot. County committee elections must use a secret ballot so the misprinted ballots cannot be used. Please destroy or recycle the misprinted ballot. If you have already voted, your ballot will be destroyed unopened.
New ballots will be mailed to producers on December 20, 2013. These ballots will indicate that they are the corrected ballot in several places, including on the outside of the mailing, on the ballot and on the outside of the return envelope.
The corrected ballot must be returned to the Braxton-Clay-Nicholas-Webster FSA Office or postmarked by January 17, 2014. All newly elected county committee members will take office February 18, 2014. All county committee members whose term expires on Dec. 31, 2013, will have their term extended to January 31, 2014.
County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.
To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm may also be eligible to vote.
The candidates in this year’s COC election are:
• Gary Wolford is nominated in LAA 1, Braxton County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Wolford resides in the Sutton area and has been involved in farming and producing hay and pasture for 40 years and is an Angus beef cattle producer. Mr. Wolford is an active member of the Braxton County Farm Bureau.
• Bill Carr is nominated in LAA 1, Braxton County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Carr resides in the Gassaway area and has produced hay and pasture for 20 years and is a beef cattle producer. He has been involved in farming in some way for 60 years.
• Donald Burroughs is nominated in LAA 2, Braxton County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Burroughs resides in the Heaters area and has produced hay and pasture for 33 years and is a beef cattle producer. He has been involved in farming in some way for 55 years. Mr. Burroughs is an active member of the Braxton County Farm Bureau and serves as President. He is also District Manager for the Elk Conservation District.
• Debra Hamric is nominated in LAA 2, Braxton County, to serve as a committee member. Mrs. Hamric resides in the Frametown area and has produced hay and pasture for 35 years and is a beef cattle producer. She has been involved in farming in some way for 41 years. Mrs. Hamric is an active member of the Braxton County Farm Bureau and serves as a committee member. She is also a member of the WV Cattlemen’s Association and the American Angus Association.
• Roy Metheney is nominated in LAA 3, Clay County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Metheney resides in the Nebo area and has been involved in farming and producing hay and pasture for 40 years. He has also produced sorghum for 4 years and is a beef cattle and sheep producer.
• David Pierson is nominated in LAA 3, Clay County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Pierson resides in the Clay area and has produced hay and pasture for over 30 years and is a beef cattle producer. He has been involved in farming in some way for 42 years. Mr. Pierson is an active member of the Clay County Farm Bureau and serves as President.
• James Cox is nominated in LAA 4, Nicholas County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Cox resides in the Summersville area and has been involved in farming and producing hay and pasture for 23 years and is a Black Angus beef cattle producer. Mr. Cox is an active member of the Nicholas County Farm Bureau and serves as Vice-President.
• Marcia Brown is nominated in LAA 4, Nicholas County, to serve as a committee member. Mrs. Brown resides in the Muddlety area and has produced hay and pasture for 33 years and is a beef cattle producer. She has been involved in farming in some way for 34 years. Mrs. Brown is an active member of the Nicholas County Farm Bureau and the WV Cattlemen’s Association.
• Brian Armstrong is nominated in LAA 4, Nicholas County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Armstrong resides in the Calvin area and has been involved in farming and producing hay and pasture for 22 years and is a beef cattle producer. Mr. Armstrong is an active member of the Nicholas County Farm Bureau.
• W Kenneth Stowers is nominated in LAA 5, Nicholas County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Stowers resides in the Nettie area and has been involved in farming and producing hay and pasture for 60 years and is a beef cattle producer. Mr. Stowers is an active member of the Nicholas County Farm Bureau and serves as a Board Member.
• Jerry Brake is nominated in LAA 5, Nicholas County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Brake resides in the Canvas area and has produced hay and pasture for 33 years and is a beef cattle and sheep producer. He has been involved in farming in some way for 36 years. Mr. Brake is an active member of the Nicholas County Farm Bureau and serves as a Board Member. He is also a member of the WV Sheep Federation.
• Gueard Jordan is nominated in LAA 6, Webster County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Jordan resides in the Webster Springs area and has produced hay, pasture and woodland for 55 years and in the past has raised beef cattle, hogs and chickens. He has been involved in farming in some way for 70 years. Mr. Jordan is an active member of Pro-Sawyers.
• Clark Mollohan is nominated in LAA 6, Webster County, to serve as a committee member. Mr. Mollohan resides in the Hacker Valley area and has produced hay and pasture for 35 years and is a beef cattle producer. He has been involved in farming in some way for 60 years. Mr. Mollohan is a Supervisor of the Elk Conservation District.
More information on county committees, such as the new 2013 fact sheet and brochures, can be found on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or at a local USDA Service Center or you can call the Braxton-Clay-Nicholas-Webster FSA Office at (304) 364-5103 or visit the office located in the Mon Power Building, 1336 State Street, Gassaway.
Special accommodations will be made, upon request, for persons with disabilities, vision or hearing impairments. Please call if accommodations are required.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).